SDA Issues Request for Future Optical Communication Waveforms

Posted On: November 6, 2023

Response Date: December 8, 2023

SDA seeks industry feedback on optical communications waveforms, ongoing work with other U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) agencies on datalinks and waveforms, and integrating datalinks and waveforms on future Tranches of the Proliferated Warfighter Defense Architecture (PWSA). This request for information (RFI) includes risk reduction efforts to support low data rate links, and long-range links, specifically space-to-space geometries of low earth orbit (LEO) to medium earth orbit (MEO) (L2M) and LEO to geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) (L2G) ranges.

Responses to this RFI will specifically inform SDA’s Transport Layer Tranche 3 planning beginning in fiscal year 2024 (FY 2024) for subsequent acquisition efforts to be slated to begin in FY 2025. As currently envisioned, future generations of the Transport Layer may have different space vehicle variants. Tranche 3 is expected to operate via multiple planes at approximately 1000km in 80–90-degree inclination orbits.

For more information on this RFI and for proposal submission instructions, please visit the link below. Responses are due by 5:00 pm ET on December 8, 2023.